History WesternAnimation / TheDragonPrince

* WorldOfActionGirls: the continent of Xadia is full of capable women fighters, the most notable being the young but talented and swift Rayla, the powerful General Amaya, along with her [[PosthumousCharacter deceased]] sister, Sarai, the Golden Knight, Janai, and the skilled archer, Queen Aanya.

* WorldOfActionGirls: Xadia is full of capable women fighters, the most notable being the young but talented and swift Rayla, the powerful General Amaya, along with her [[PosthumousCharacter deceased]] sister, Sarai, the Golden Knight, Janai, and the skilled archer, Queen Aanya.

* SideBet: In "Breaking the Seal", during a flashback to when King Harrow and his wife Queen Sarai are sparring and discussing a dangerous mission, Sarai successfully disarms and bests her husband. Two guards are watching the spar and the one on the left discretely hands over some coins to the now smugly smiling right guard.

** PrettyBoy:

* WorldOfActionGirls: Xadia is full of capable women fighters, the most notable being the young but talented Rayla, the powerful General Amaya, along with her [[PosthumousCharacter deceased]] sister, Sarai, and the Golden Knight, Janai.

** Pointed out by Callum when Rayla is trying to kill him, thinking that he's Ezran, saying that even if she kills him and gets revenge for the King of the Dragons and his egg, someone else will just get revenge against the elves and keep the cycle going. Season 2 reveals that the killing of Thunder was in fact revenge for the death of Queen Sarai, and the humans are now planning revenge on the elves for the death of King Harrow, making a straight example of this. Rayla provides a CallBack to this scene in Season 2 as a [[AnAesop life lesson]] that Callum taught her.

* BackToBackBadasses: When fighting against the Shadowbeast in the desolated capital of the Sun-elves, Rayla, Callum and Amaya adopt this formation when they get surrounded. After they sucessfully defend themselves, Rayla points out what good companions they make.

* MutualPining: After a fairly traumatic experience where Callum falls into a Dark Magic-induced coma near the end of Book 2, Rayla undergoes a LoveRevelationEpiphany and almost confesses how she feels to him while he's still unconscious [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove just before he wakes up]]. Early in Book 3, it's heavily implied Callum feels the same way about her but hasn't realized it himself with a couple of {{Crush Blush}}s occurring on their travels through Xadia, until "The Midnight Desert" where a heartfelt YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech from Callum causes Rayla to [[MistakenForFlirting kiss him]] catching him off guard. [[spoiler:It doesn't take long for both to [[RelationshipUpgrade officially get together]] afterwards once Callum's feelings have crystalized and he reciprocates her kiss while getting caught up in praising her as a hero.]]

* ToiletHumor: Claudia is a big fan of smell-based humor.
** When Soren thinks he got a whiff from her horse while they were riding together in season 1, [[{{Gasshole}} she]] happily claims responsibility for the stick.

** Upon their dad, Viren, asking her where her brother is, Claudia's very enthusiastic about informing him Soren told her he needed bathroom time after eating some bad cheese. Which is a lie but she doesn't know that.

* MutualPining: After a fairly traumatic experience where [[Characters/TheDragonPrinceCallum Callum]] falls Into a Dark Magic induced coma near the end of Book 2, Rayla undergoes a LoveRevelationEpiphany and almost confesses how she feels to him while he's still unconscious [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove just before he wakes up]]. Early in Book 3, it's heavily implied Callum feels the same way about her but hasn't realized it himself with a couple of {{Crush Blush}}s occurring on their travels through Xadia, until "The Midnight Desert" where a heartfelt YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech from Callum causes Rayla to [[MistakenForFlirting kiss him]] catching him off guard. [[spoiler:It doesn't take long for both to [[RelationshipUpgrade officially get together]] afterwards once Callum's feelings have crystalized and he reciprocates her kiss while getting caught up in praising her as a hero.]]

* MutualPining: After a fairly traumatic experience where Callum falls Into a Dark Magic induced coma near the end of Book 2, Rayla undergoes a LoveRevelationEpiphany and almost confesses how she feels to him while he's still unconscious [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove just before he wakes up]]. Early in Book 3, it's heavily implied Callum feels the same way about her but hasn't realized it himself with a couple of CrushBlush's occurring on their travels through Xadia, until ''The Midnight Desert'' where a heartfelt YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech from Callum causes Rayla to [[MistakenForFlirting kiss him]] catching him off guard. [[spoiler: It doesn't take long for both to [[RelationshipUpgrade officially get together]] afterwards once Callum's feelings have crystalized and he reciprocates her kiss while getting caught up in praising her as a hero.]]

* MutualPining: After a fairly traumatic experience where Callum falls Into a Dark Magic induced coma near the end of Book 2, Rayla undergoes a LoveRevelationEpiphany and almost confessess how she feels to him while he's still unconscious [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove just before he wakes up]]. Early in Book 3, it's heavily implied Callum feels the same way about her but hasn't realized it himself with a couple of CrushBlush's occurring on their travels through Xadia, until ''The Midnight Desert'' where a heartfelt YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech from Callum causes Rayla to [[MistakenForFlirting kiss him]] catching him off guard. [[spoiler: It doesn't take long for both to [[RelationshipUpgrade officially get together]] afterwords once Callum's feelings have crystalized and he reciprocates her kiss while getting caught up in praising her as a hero.]]

* MutualPining: After a fairly traumatic experience where Callum falls Into a Dark Magic induced coma near the end of Book 2, Rayla undergoes a LoveRevelationEpiphany and almost confessing how she feels to him while he's still unconscious [[AbortedDeclarationOfLove just before he wakes up]]. Early in Book 3, it's heavily implied Callum feels the same way about her but hasn't realized himself with a couple of CrushBlush's occurring on their travels through Xadia, until ''The Midnight Desert'' where a heartfelt YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech from Callum causes Rayla to [[MistakenForFlirting kiss him]] catching him off guard. [[spoiler: It doesn't take long for both to [[RelationshipUpgrade officially get together]] afterwords once Callum's feelings have crystalized and he reciprocates her kiss while getting caught up in praising her as a hero.]]

* DiedInIgnorance: [[spoiler:King Harrow of Katolis dies in the third episode at the hand of elven assassins from Xadia sent in direct retaliation for his slaying of thier overlord the Arch-Dragon humans called Thunder and the smashing of his only egg by Harrow's companion the High Mage Viren, he was resigned to his own death for his sins and[[note]](presuming his step-son Callum's shouts failed to carry over the battle between his guards and the kill-team outside his chambers)[[/note]] comforted by his children being safe at the winter lodge outside of town. Problem A: Viren did not destroy the egg but smuggled it intact to a hidden chamber within Harrow's own castle as a potential source of arcane power. Problem B: His sons, their departure having been delayed by an argument, were chased into the aforementioned chamber by one of the assassins where the lot of them uncovered the still living egg. ''That'' assassin, having failed to get her squad leader to call off the mission, made common cause with the princes (ages 14 and 10) to [[EggMcGuffin get the egg back to Xadia in the hopes of ending the war]] and the three fled into the night inviting pursuit by all concerned minutes before Harrow's death.]]

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Book 4 highlights the TimeSkip by showing all the heroic character's with new hairstyles.

* FatalFlaw: A recurring theme, especially among the adults, is them holding to this and to their values even when they should bend. King Harrow shows HonorBeforeReason, Runaan shows RevengeBeforeReason, and Viren's [[WellIntentionedExtremist pragmatism]] eventually tips him into full blown villainy territory.

** Before the finale of season 3, Ezran [[spoiler:journeys on Pyrrah, a fire dragon, to gather help from other dragons to protect the Dragon Queen and Zym from the magically-enhanced forces of Viren]].

* MuggleMageRomance: In season 3 [[spoiler:Human mage Callum]] and [[spoiler:Elven assassin Rayla]], develop a romance after they both realize how much they [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan truly admire the others bravery and selflessness.]]

* NonHeteronormativeSociety: Across both sides of Xadia, same-sex relationships, are treated no differently then hetero couples with even royalty being able to be openly gay without remark. Non-binary individual's are also common, with the only prejudice on display in the narrative so far being between [[FantasticRacism Elves and Humans]], and the TransTribulations implied in Terry's backstory in book 4, which seems to be rare.

* OnlyOneName: Like in [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar]], there's no reference to any of the main characters having surnames. The only exceptions are the famous explorer "Sir Phineas Kirst" and Callum making up a name during a IHaveThisFriend story.

** Late in season 1, Callum, Ezran, and Rayla venture to the Cursed Caldera. As Callum learns early in season 2, this is the location of the Moon Nexus, a mountaintop lake which perfectly reflects the image of the full moon, where the ancient ancestors of the modern Moonshadow elves performed rituals, even opening a world to another plane, described as a "shimmering world beyond life and death". It's abandoned save for a single guardian now because it fell on the human side of the land when humanity was forced out of Xadia.

* PowerAtAPrice: This is how dark magic seems to work, requiring the lifeforce or essence of at least part of living being in order to cast a spell. Excessive amounts of usage also seems to take some kind of toll on the user, as evidenced by Viren draining the life of magical butterflies in order to hide his darkness-stained skin and eyes and keep himself looking like a middle-aged man.

* ReestablishingCharacterMoment: With the two year TimeSkip between Book 3 and 4 (and the three year gap between seasons) we're brought up to speed on the characters.
** Callum is now High Mage, and is more confident with greater mastery over magic. But while he's still EndearinglyDorky, Callum is also given a couple scenes to contrast him with his predecessor. Unlike Viren, he's humble about his title and upfront with others when it comes to potential threats, while also demonstrating that with his new confidence has also come [[BewareTheNiceOnes ferocity]] when he thinks his [[BigBrotherInstinct brother]] is in danger.

** Ezran remains a kindhearted AnimalLover (letting Bait, his pet Glowtoad, sit with him on his council) but now ruling as king he's shown making the effort to heal the rift between Humanity and the Elves and Dragon's of Xadia.

** The weapons and armor tend to be historically-accurate, to the point that one can easily find the real-life reproductions of the historical swords, crossbows, and halberds that they were clearly modeled after.

* ToiletHumor: Claudia is a big fan of smell based humor.
** When Soren thinks he got a whiff from her horse while they were riding together in sesson 1, [[{{Gasshole}} she]] happily claims responsibility for the stick.

* {{Unicorn}}: Xadian Unicorn's once roamed the lands long ago, but are thought to have been driven to extinction by Dark Mages for their horns, as they were powerful magic ingredients. In a flashback in Book 3, Viren reveals that Claudia somehow managed to acquire one for a spell that was strong enough to fell the Dragon King.

* VillainBeatingArtifact: Worried in case they fail to stop Aaravos from being freed, Callum and Rayla make it there mission to find a method that can kill a Startouch Elf. [[spoiler:They eventually find information on one in Lux Aurea called the [[CoolSword Novablade]], which is kept in a StarScraper tower far in the north.]]

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: A recurring theme of the first season is that several of the main characters, namely Callum and Rayla, really sell themselves short on their abilities and potential. Rayla believes that her inability to take a life makes her a poor assassin and Callum thinks that without the primal orb he stole from Claudia he just isn't special. Thankfully there's people around them that assure them that Callum is plenty special without his magic orb and that Rayla not wanting to kill people is a good thing.

** Callum is now High Mage, more confident and has gained greater mastery over magic, but while he's still EndearinglyDorky Callum is also given a couple scenes to contrast him with his predecessor; unlike Viren he's humble about his title and upfront with others when it comes to potential threats, while also demonstrating that with his new confidence has also come [[BewareTheNiceOnes ferocity]] when he thinks his [[BigBrotherInstinct brother]] is in danger.
** Soren was originally introduced as a JerkJock who used his superior skills to humiliate Callum in sword practice; in Book 4 he's seen joking around with Callum and is generally a more friendly individual after [[HeelFaceTurn getting away from his father's influence]].
**Ezran remains a kindhearted AnimalLover, letting Bait, his pet Glowtoad, sit with him on his council; but now ruling as king he's shown making the effort to heal the rift between Humanity and the Elves and Dragon's of Xadia.

** Claudia started off as a PerkyGoth, who didn't seem [[AmbiguousInnocence all that aware of how disturbing Dark Magic was]], but two years of having [[SatanicArchetype Aaravos]] whispering in her ear has resulted in her becoming ever more single minded about keeping her father alive, regardless of his own wishes, out of fear of being [[PleaseDontLeaveMe left alone]].

* MissingMom: Fathers are fairly present in the story -- Callum and Ezran have King Harrow; Soren and Claudia have Lord Viren -- but Queen Sarai is dead, and Soren and Claudia's mother divorced their father and moved away. Only Rayla speaks of her parents as a unit, and she's estranged from both of them. [[spoiler:Season 3 reveals they're both dead, [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse]].]]

** Claudia started off as a, PerkyGoth, who didn't seem [[AmbiguousInnocence all that aware of how disturbing Dark Magic was]], but two years of having [[SatanicArchetype Aaravos]] whispering in her ear has resulted in her becoming ever more single minded about keeping her father alive, regardless of his own wishes, out of fear of being [[PleaseDontLeaveMe left alone]].

**Ezran remains a kindhearted AnimalLover, letting Bait, his pet Glowtoad, sit with him on his council; but now ruling as king he's shown making the effort to heal the rift between Humanity and the Elves and Dragon's or Xadia.